cold hands, warm heart
by isadorator
Summary: When Snow Queen walked through Paris, Ladybug—lost, cold, alone—didn't forget why she fought. (written for the @a-little-light-zine!)


_how long has it been since i ventured away from tumblr and ao3 to brave the horrors of The Pit...;;;;;_

 _anyway, i wrote this fic for a-little-light-zine over on tumblr, which is a digital, pay-what-you-can, charity fanzine for miraculous ladybug. it's got a mix of art and fic, it's absolutely gorgeous, and it's for a great cause, so please check it out! orders are still open until february 1 /o/_

 _themes were 'winter season' and 'light', so i came up with some ladynoir~ hope you enjoy!_

* * *

The sky was turning rose gold with the sunset when Paris' lights went out and the storm blew in.

The akuma rode on a blizzard, walking on snowflakes as the wind howled around her, buffeting the tendrils of her frost-streaked hair and the hem of her diamond dust dress. Her eyes held just as much forgiveness as icicles that hung from power lines, poised to strike the unwary below.

When Ladybug and Chat Noir faced her on the rooftops, they learned her name.

Snow Queen.

The world slowly descended into darkness as the sun sank and the storm's power grew. Ladybug's hand gripped Chat's as the battle raged on, his eyes stepping in for hers when they began to fail in the low light.

The akuma's eyes narrowed, nostrils flaring with displeasure.

Silently, she raised a hand. Ferocious blasts of snow-laced wind rose up, battering at the duo until it finally tossed them in the air.

"Ladybug!" Chat shouted, his voice almost lost in the roar of the blizzard.

They spun in wild circles as the wind pushed them high, higher, until the city below was shrouded in a haze of white. The only thing that connected them was the death grip they had on each other.

"Hang in there, Chat!" Ladybug yelled back. Even with super strength, she could feel their fingers slipping, the hold they had on each other's wrists loosening. "Just—hold on—!"

The world slowed when the wind finally wrenched them apart. Ladybug spun away with a wordless cry, the image of Chat disappearing into the storm branding her soul.

Pushed further and further across the city by the force of the akuma's winter winds, Ladybug reached for her yoyo and threw it out blindly, hoping to slow her uncontrolled flight. It hooked onto a lamppost, the string going taut before snapping back. She barely had time to brace herself before she slammed into a snowdrift. Groaning, she sat up.

In the darkness, Ladybug couldn't see any light reflecting off the snow or the green glow of Chat Noir's eyes.

...He'd be fine. Better off than her, if she was being honest. He had his night vision, enhanced hearing, enhanced _smell_ —

Ladybug slid her compact open and thumbed through to find the map app with Chat's locator. Seeing the distance between them only firmed her resolve.

"I'm on my way, kitty," she said to herself.

With an akuma as powerful as this, they needed each other to beat it safely.

Ladybug stood up, snow falling off her in clumps as she stepped out of the snowbank, and she tried not to let her anxiety overwhelm her. Chat was fine; he'd taken falls like this before with no lasting effects. They'd be _fine_ , once they met up again. And Paris would be _fine_ , once they defeated the akuma.

Still, time was a factor. Tikki's magic kept the chill pricking her exposed face from causing harm and the suit protected the rest of her body... but her kwami never did well in the cold.

Trying to follow the blinking cursor on her compact, Ladybug immediately saw the problems with her plan. If she didn't watch where she stepped, she could slip on an icy patch of ground or get stuck in another snowbank. But she could hardly see anything in the receding light and her compact was blinding her even more with its brightness—

Ladybug gently smacked her head and turned her compact around, shining its light on the snow and watching it reflect back to her.

Even if it wasn't for the blizzard, using her compact like this meant she couldn't swing over the roofs to make the journey quicker. Ladybug trudged through the snow and the wind, grateful for the warmth of her suit.

It was hard to navigate at first. She had to keep switching between shining a light on her path and checking the map for directions and distance. Even with her compact, Ladybug could barely see more than a metre in front of her. She was almost tempted to create a Lucky Charm just so she'd have a flashlight.

But five minutes of light wasn't worth the risk of losing an advantage over the akuma or freezing to death without the protection of her suit.

Luckily, she didn't run into any buildings as she walked and the pawprint representing Chat was drawing steadily closer. But what helped the most were the little lights above her.

The power outage and the storm meant people had rushed inside even before the akuma revealed herself. They lit candles, stoked fireplaces, cranked electric lanterns, and filled oil lamps, all working to beat back the cold and the darkness. The collective glow filtered out through the windows and, while not every building was lit, there were enough to serve as beacons for Ladybug, lighthouses to guide her through the streets and to Chat Noir.

She was born and bred in Paris, the City of Light, and it only seemed _right_ for it to help her like this.

But even this moment of connection had to end. Chat's cursor was almost on top of her. Through the storm, she could hear him crying her name and she rushed to meet him.

His eyes were watery and bright when they both skidded to a stop, the tip of his nose red, but he didn't look any worse for the wear. He sniffed and shuffled closer, as if to shield her from the blizzard.

"You're alright," he said. "I mean, I knew you'd be, but... I'm really glad you're okay."

Ladybug smiled, feeling her heart soften with his concern and her relief. She put away her compact and took his hand, squeezing it in hers.

She couldn't feel his warmth through their suits. But he was still solid, a ray of light condensed into her gangly, reliable cat boy who told too many puns.

"Lead the way," she said, before affection could distract her. Chat hesitated, searching her face.

"You have a plan?" he asked, lacing their fingers together. _For a tighter grip_ , Ladybug reasoned to herself, and tried not to let his grin affect her.

"Not yet," she admitted and tugged him along as she began to run. He quickly drew ahead, guiding them both through the dark. "But we'll take her down. Just trust me, kitty."

 _Like I trust you_ , she didn't say as they dived headfirst into the storm.


End file.
